Punjab Working Hours and Overtime Laws (2026)

Researched by Ahmed R. J. Alsaedi, Founder & Head Researcher

Primary sources cited; not legal advice.

Source: Code on Wages, 2019, ss. 13–14 (normal working day + overtime at not less than twice the ordinary rate) — enforceable 21 November 2025; OSH Code, 2020, Chapter VII (9-hour daily / 48-hour weekly caps, 125-hour quarterly OT cap) — enforceable 21 November 2025; Factories Act, 1948, ss. 51-66 (transitional operation in factories pending full OSH Code state rules); State Shops and Establishments Acts (for shops and commercial establishments)

About this article

Sourced from Indian central (Union) law — Constitution of India, central Acts of Parliament, and Supreme Court decisions. State-level information reflects each state's own Acts and High Court rulings. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards

Indian Central Law

What is this right?

Metric: 9 hours
Metric: 48 hours
Metric: Code 2020 Chapter VII

The headline numbers depend on where you work. Factory workers are capped at 9 hours a day, 48 hours a week under the OSH Code 2020 Chapter VII (enforceable 21 November 2025), with a quarterly overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. cap of 125 hours — up from 75 hours under the old Factories Act 1948. Daily-wage employees in the central sphere are capped at 8 hours a day, 48 hours a week under Rule 5(1) of the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 343(E), 8 May 2026). Both regimes set overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. at not less than twice the ordinary rate — the Code on Wages Section 14 extends this double-rate standard to every sector, not just factories.

Factories (s. 51, 54, Factories Act): No more than 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week. The total spread-over from clock-in to clock-out cannot cross 10.5 hours without permission — that hour-and-a-half buffer is meant for legitimate breaks, not unpaid waiting time.
OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. (s. 59, Factories Act; s. 14, Code on Wages): Anything past 9/day or 48/week is paid at twice the ordinary wage rate. There is no "flat rate" or "production bonus" that legally substitutes for this.
Rest intervals (s. 55): No more than 5 continuous hours without a half-hour break.
Weekly holiday (s. 52): One full day off every week. Not negotiable.
Shops and offices sit under the state Shops and Establishments Act — Maharashtra has its own, Karnataka has its own, and so on. The numbers are similar (typically 8–9 hours/day, 48 hours/week, one weekly off), but the inspector and the registers differ.

The most common dodge is to call something a "production incentive" or to record official hours that end at 6 pm while everyone is actually still at the line at 9. None of that overrides the statute. OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. is a rate, not a favour.

When does it apply?

You work in a factory as defined under the Factories Act — 10 or more workers if power is used, 20 or more without power.
You work in a shop, office or commercial establishment covered by your state's Shops and Establishments Act.
You are being asked to work past the prescribed daily or weekly cap.

What to Do If Your Employer in India Denies Overtime Pay

The single most useful thing you can do is keep your own log. Inspectors and labour courts decide overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. cases on records, and if the only record is the employer's, the employer wins.

Maintain a personal log of your in-time and out-time every day. A phone photo of the punch board or the attendance register works as evidence.
The employer is legally required to maintain a register of working hours (Form 12 under the Factories Rules). You can ask to inspect it — refusal is itself a violation.
If overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. is missing or paid at the wrong rate, file a written complaint with the Inspector of Factories (factory workers) or the Labour Inspector / Inspector-cum-Facilitator under the Code on Wages.
Money claims for unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. go to the Authority under the Code on Wages — and you have three years to file.

What should you NOT do?

Do not sign anything waiving overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules.. Such clauses are void against the statute, but it is far easier to refuse the signature than to fight the document later.
Do not work more than 75 hours of overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. per quarter (s. 64, Factories Act) without specific government permission — that is the statutory cap, and crossing it puts both you and the employer in violation.
Do not believe the line that "your salary package includes all overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules.." It does not. OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. must be calculated and paid separately at twice the ordinary rate.

Punjab Law

Choose your state

How Punjab differs from central law

Metric: 1958
Metric: 2025
Metric: 13

Working hours and overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. in Punjab are governed by the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, as substantially amended by the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Notification No. 13-Leg./2025, gazetted and effective 29 August 2025). The 2025 amendment raised daily and spread-over hour caps, increased the quarterly overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. ceiling, introduced a lighter intimation regime for small establishments, and enhanced penalties for violations affecting women and children.

Scope: The Act applies to all shops and commercial establishments in Punjab. After the 2025 amendment, the full obligations apply to establishments employing 20 or more workers. Establishments below this threshold need only comply with §13-A (intimation to the Inspector within 6 months of commencement). Full obligations attach automatically the moment headcount reaches 20.
Daily hours: Maximum of 10 hours per day (raised from 9 by the 2025 amendment).
Weekly hours: Maximum of 48 hours per week (unchanged).
Spread-over: Total span from start of work to end, including all breaks, must not exceed 12 hours per day (raised from 10 by the 2025 amendment). This is a hard outer limit — no overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. is lawful if it pushes the daily span beyond 12 hours.
OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. rate (§7): Twice ordinary wages (2×) for any work beyond 48 hours/week or beyond the ordinary daily working day (i.e., hours beyond 10/day). The 2× rate is unchanged by the 2025 amendment and applies regardless of salary level — there is no income cap on entitlement.
Quarterly overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. ceiling: 144 hours per quarter (raised from 50 by the 2025 amendment). OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. beyond this ceiling is unlawful even with employee consent.
Payment timing: OvertimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. wages must be paid within the same wage period in which they were earned. Delay is an independent violation under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.
Records: Employers must maintain accurate overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. records which must be produced to the Inspector on inspection.
Registration: Establishments with 20+ workers must register within 6 months of commencement (relaxed from 30 days by the 2025 amendment). The Inspector must issue the certificate within 24 hours; if not issued in time, registration is deemed auto-granted. Any change in workforce, ownership, or establishment details must be intimated within 30 days.
Penalties: The 2025 amendment introduced stricter penalties specifically for working-hour violations that affect women and children. It also introduced decriminalization and compounding of certain minor offences — but compounding covers regulatory penalties only. The employee's civil right to recover unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. wages cannot be compounded away.
Limitation: Claims for unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. wages must be filed before the Authority under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 within 12 months of the wage due date.

Worked example: An IT services company in Mohali employs 25 developers. Under the 2025 amendment, the employer may schedule 10-hour days. A developer works Monday through Saturday, 10 hours/day — 60 hours/week. The first 48 hours are paid at ordinary wages; the remaining 12 hours/week qualify for overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. at 2×. Total spread-over including breaks must stay within 12 hours/day. If the developer earns ₹600/day (roughly ₹75/hour for an 8-hour base) and works 100 overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. hours in Q3 2025 (within the 144-hour cap), the overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. pay is 2 × ₹75 × 100 = ₹15,000. An employer paying only the ordinary rate (₹75/hour) underpays by ₹7,500, which is recoverable under the Payment of Wages Act within 12 months.

Additional Steps in Punjab

What to do:

File a written complaint with the Inspector under the Punjab Shops and Establishments Act at the District Labour Office (Shram Vibhag). The Inspector can review employer records and act on over-hours and unpaid-overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. complaints.
If the Inspector does not act, escalate to the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Punjab.
For wage-related back claims (unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules.), file before the Authority under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 within 12 months of the due date.
Serve a written demand on the employer for unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. at 2× citing §7 of the Act, and attach your personal log of hours worked (timestamps, building access records, shift rosters, emails sent late at night).

Avoid:

Assuming an establishment with fewer than 20 workers has no labour obligations. §13-A intimation still applies, and minimum wage and Payment of Wages Act obligations apply independently of the Shops Act threshold.
Treating the 12-hour spread-over as a 12-hour work entitlement. Spread-over is the total span including breaks; actual working time still caps at 10 hours/day, and anything beyond 48 hours/week triggers overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules. at 2× regardless.
Overlooking conflicts with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (central, effective 21 November 2025). The Code sets an 8-hour standard; the tension with Punjab's 10-hour state standard is unresolved. Raise it with the Inspector if an employer cites the OSH Code's 8-hour standard selectively to deny overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules..
Missing the 12-month limitation under the Payment of Wages Act. Older claims may be irrecoverable.
Assuming compounding of offences lets an employer pay its way out of unpaid overtimeUnder the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. State laws can require more generous overtime rules.. Compounding covers regulatory penalties only — not civil wage recovery, which belongs to the worker.

Relevant Law: Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, §§7, 8, 13-A; Punjab Amendment Act 2025 (Notification No. 13-Leg./2025, effective 29 August 2025); Payment of Wages Act, 1936, §15

Common Questions

What are the legal working hours in India?

Under the Factories Act and the upcoming OSH Code 2020, standard working hours are capped at 9 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Most state Shops and Establishments Acts (like the Gujarat Shops Act or Maharashtra Shops Act) also mandate similar 8 to 9-hour daily and 48-hour weekly limits.

How is overtime calculated in India?

Overtime must be paid at twice (2x) the ordinary wage rate for any hours worked beyond 9 hours a day or 48 hours a week. This double-rate standard applies universally under the Code on Wages 2019.

What is the working hours and overtime right in India?

Metric: 9 hoursMetric: 48 hoursMetric: Code 2020 Chapter VIIThe headline numbers depend on where you work. Factory workers are capped at 9 hours a day, 48 hours a week under the OSH Code 2020 Chapter VII (enforceable 21 November 2025), with a quarterly overtime cap of 125 hours — up from 75 hours under the old Factories Act 1948. Daily-wage employees in the central sphere are capped at 8 hours a day, 48 hours a week under Rule 5(1) of the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 343(E), 8 May 2026). Both regimes set overtime at not less than twice the ordinary rate — the Code on Wages Secti...

When does working hours and overtime apply?

You work in a factory as defined under the Factories Act — 10 or more workers if power is used, 20 or more without power.You work in a shop, office or commercial establishment covered by your state's Shops and Establishments Act.You are being asked to work past the prescribed daily or weekly cap.

What should I do if my employer in India is not paying me for overtime?

The single most useful thing you can do is keep your own log. Inspectors and labour courts decide overtime cases on records, and if the only record is the employer's, the employer wins.Maintain a personal log of your in-time and out-time every day. A phone photo of the punch board or the attendance register works as evidence.The employer is legally required to maintain a register of working hours (Form 12 under the Factories Rules). You can ask to inspect it — refusal is itself a violation.If overtime is missing or paid at the wrong rate, file a written complaint with the Inspector of Factorie...

What mistakes should I avoid with working hours and overtime?

Do not sign anything waiving overtime. Such clauses are void against the statute, but it is far easier to refuse the signature than to fight the document later.Do not work more than 75 hours of overtime per quarter (s. 64, Factories Act) without specific government permission — that is the statutory cap, and crossing it puts both you and the employer in violation.Do not believe the line that "your salary package includes all overtime." It does not. Overtime must be calculated and paid separately at twice the ordinary rate.

Working Hours and Overtime in other states

Same topic, different jurisdiction. Pick the one that applies to you.

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Every reference below links to its primary source — the statute book, regulator, or court — and carries a verification date. See our citation methodology for how this works.

Punjab

India

StatuteFactories Act, 1948 (Act No. 63 of 1948), ss. 51, 54, 59
Caps factory hours at 9/day and 48/week; s. 59 requires double-rate overtime. Verified to current India Code handle (was incorrectly pointing to /2389 which is the Light House Act 1927).
StatuteCode on Wages, 2019, s. 14
Statutory overtime rate is twice the ordinary wage.
StatuteOccupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Act No. 37 of 2020)
Chapter IV restates daily/weekly hour limits, rest intervals and overtime rules across establishments. Verified to current India Code handle (was incorrectly pointing to /15407 which is the IPC).
Agency guidanceMinistry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes
Tracks state-level notification status of the four labour codes.